Morning Rituals

"We all have morning rituals

that give us the comfort of familiarity

even if our days are unknown."

Maria Alexandra Vettese

A YEAR OF MORNINGS:  3191 MILES APART     

Every one needs to create a morning ritual to set the tone of their day.  Ritual is not necessarily a religious practice, but something we do religiously.  For some, a ritual could be running, walking the dog, arriving at work before any one else to have a few minutes alone or the practice of yoga.  Ritual can be any thing we create to meet our needs, adding us a sense of sacredness to our day.  It is a time to align our body, mind and spirit, creating a sense of purpose, peace, and calm.

Rituals change from time to time, adapting to our needs.  We may have a weekend ritual or a night time ritual, as there are no set rules.  Ritual is a portion of our day set aside to honor the Divine and to respect our lovely selves.

There is a wonderful book written in 1991 by Sherry Ruth Anderson and Patricia Hopkins entitled, THE FEMININE FACE OF GOD, The Unfolding Of The Sacred In Women.  It was written during a time when the media was exclaiming, "God is dead!"  The actual truth happened to be  God was alive and well, just being worshipped in other places held sacred ... homes, woodlands, private gardens, studios, etc ... It is within this book THE FEMININE FACE OF GOD, I became impacted by the private actions of others.  I was amazed at the authentic and creative private rituals being performed by women.  At the time, the words women and ritual were never linked together. 

If we think schedules do not allow for any kind of rituals, look again.  For years as a working professional, the only time I had of the morning was to light a tea light in the bathroom while I showered and prepared for work.  I lit the candle to attract the Divine into my new day.  While brushing my teeth, I would stare into the flame feeling a connection with all of life.  As I dressed, I tried to let go of all my yesterdays and welcomed compassion and kindness into my heart.  As I blew out the candle, I would offer gratitude and thanksgiving.

Years later, I still have morning ritual, but it has been adapted to meet a different life style. 

1.  Get up earlier than needed.

2.  Start the coffee.

3.  Yoga stretches (my version) welcoming Spirit into my day and set intentions.

4.  Take coffee to porch outside to commune with the beauty and sounds of nature.

5.  Light a candle and use a drop of essential oil, and sometimes music.

6.  Read something inspiring.

7.  Put down on paper what I have seen, heard, visualized ...

8.  Blow out the candle having a thankful heart filled with an attitude of gratitude.

Depending upon the given day, my ritual can take all morning or it can be reduced to a time fitting my schedule.  Yes, there are days unfortunately when I neglect my ritual, and I am sadly aware of the disconnect, but return to it as soon as possible.

Remember, rituals can be anything bringing the sacred into our lives.  Create a ritual that best suits our time and needs.  Pray every morning while traveling to work.  Send love to specific people while climbing the steps out of the parking garage.  I had a friend who prayed for her children every morning as she turned the lock in her door while leaving for work.  A ritual can be simple or lengthy.  Whatever we create will bring blessings to our day.